chameleon

6 Stories

Reptile That Fits on Fingertip May Be World's Smallest

It could take years to confirm that Madagascar's 'Brookesia nana' chameleon is the tiniest

(Newser) - It fits on a human fingertip, but this chameleon could make a big splash. Scientists from Madagascar and Germany say a newly discovered species of chameleon is a contender for the title of world's smallest reptile, the AP reports. Frank Glaw, who was part of the international team of...

Lizard Finally Turns Up, 100 Years Later

Living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon are found in Madagascar

(Newser) - Talk about good camouflage! Scientists say they have found an elusive chameleon species that was last spotted in Madagascar 100 years ago. Researchers from Madagascar and Germany said Friday that they discovered several living specimens of Voeltzkow's chameleon during an expedition to the northwest of the African island nation....

How Chameleons Really Change Their Color
 How Chameleons Really 
 Change Their Color 
NEW STUDY
Mar 11, 2015 4:14 AM CDT

How Chameleons Really Change Their Color

New study finds it isn't just pigments

(Newser) - Chameleons may not be the only creatures on the planet capable of shade shifting, but they're probably the best at it—panther chameleons in particular. They can go from green and blue hues to yellow and red ones in a matter of minutes, and scientists say they now think...

Mini-Chameleon Discovered in Madagascar

Inch-long Brookesia micra the result of island dwarfism

(Newser) - A tiny island off the coast of Madagascar is home to the smallest chameleon ever discovered. Scientists believe Brookesia micra, which is just over an inch long, is the result of a double case of "island dwarfism," in which island species shrink as they evolve to adjust to...

Startled Snake Horks Up New Chameleon Species

British scientist startled reptile before it could digest dinner

(Newser) - A Tanzanian snake so startled by a British researcher that it threw up its still-undigested dinner in fact horked up a previously unknown species of chameleon. Andrew Marshall tells the Guardian he was surveying monkeys in the Magombera forest when he tripped over the nervous twig snake; though worried about...

Madagascar Chameleon Has Shortest Life on 4 Legs

Furcifer labordi dies about a year after it's conceived—and 16-20 weeks out of shell

(Newser) - A small chameleon native to Madagascar looks to own the world record for shortest life span for a creature with four legs and a backbone, the New York Times reports. The Furcifer labordi dies about a year after conception, with just 16-20 weeks on earth after it leaves its shell....

6 Stories